Widely-used browser vulnerability with high-severity RCE; affects Google Chrome users globally; patch available.
CVE-2026-5280
Chrome WebCodecs use-after-free enables remote code execution via crafted HTML.
Is CVE-2026-5280 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-5280 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.39% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-5280?
CVE-2026-5280 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-5280?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-5280. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-5280 affect?
CVE-2026-5280 affects Google Chrome (Chromium-based) <146.0.7680.178. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-5280?
Update Chrome to the latest version (>=146.0.7680.178).
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Remote code execution in Chrome sandbox via crafted HTML page exploiting WebCodecs UAF.
Patch when possible
- affected< 146.0.7680.178
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.